Website formula: What is web design

Have you ever wondered why some websites appeal to us at first glance, while others just irritate? Behind this is web design — not just a collection of images, but a whole philosophy that combines art and technology. It’s what makes the internet convenient, understandable, and, of course, beautiful.

Who is a UI/UX Designer and what do they do?

Imagine a website as a building. Then a web designer is not only the architect who plans the layout but also the decorator who makes the interior cozy and functional. Their tasks include:

• Structure design: They decide where the navigation will be and how to arrange information so that users can easily find what they need. This is called logical structure or information architecture.
• Usability: The designer ensures the site is intuitive to use. Every button and menu should be in the right place so users don’t get lost. This is especially important for people with disabilities and those accessing the site from different devices.
• Visual design: Of course, the web designer is responsible for aesthetics. They choose colors, fonts, create icons, illustrations, and collages to make the site attractive and aligned with the company’s style.

Web design is a relatively young but highly in-demand profession. To be a great specialist, one needs not only artistic taste but also a solid understanding of web technologies: how websites work, what standards exist, and how to bring them to life.

Process: From sketch to interactive prototype

How is website design born?

Idea and concept: Sometimes the designer offers creative solutions independently, other times they work from a client’s brief outlining preferences for color, style, and mood. A unique design created “from scratch” is always more expensive but also more valuable.

Templates: If the budget is tight or deadlines are pressing, the designer might use ready-made templates. It’s like buying a pre-built house and customizing it to your needs. Some designers even specialize in creating such templates for sale.

Creating the design layout: The final product of the web designer’s work is the design layout. Previously, this was just a multi-layered image in a graphic editor (like Photoshop). Each element was a separate layer, making adjustments easier.

Modern approach: Today, the paradigm has shifted. Designers now often create interactive prototypes using specialized tools like Figma or Sketch. Here, the layout is no longer just a static image but an interactive canvas with vector graphics, where transitions, animations, and button behaviors can be configured. This allows clients to see how the site will look and function even before programming begins.

First impression: Why is the homepage important?

For a long time, the homepage was considered the most important page on a website. Usability experts claimed it determined the success of the entire site. However, with the rise of search engines and social media, the situation has changed. Users increasingly land directly on inner pages through search or links in newsletters, bypassing the homepage. This has sparked debates about how important the homepage really is.

What about carousels (sliders or rotating banners), which were very popular in the 2010s? They were often used to showcase new content within limited space. However, many specialists now consider them ineffective and even detrimental to usability and search engine optimization.

Tools and technologies of a UI/UX Designer

To bring their ideas to life, web designers use a whole arsenal of tools:

• Graphic editors: Programs for vector and raster graphics (like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, GIMP, Figma, Sketch, Inkscape) are used to create images, icons, and prototypes.
• Markup and style languages: Designers need to understand how their layouts translate into code — HTML (for page structure) and CSS (for styles and design). Sometimes they write code themselves, but more often this is done by a front-end developer.
• Testing tools: Web designers use validators and other programs to check usability and accessibility (for people with disabilities) and cross-browser compatibility (to ensure the site looks good in all browsers).

Web design is not just about creating beautiful images. It’s a comprehensive process aimed at making web resources not only attractive but also highly functional, user-friendly, and accessible to every user. It’s a constant evolution, with new trends and technologies emerging every day to make our online experience even better.